The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.

Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.

Shusaku Tomoi

Yuichi Hara

Andy Haishung Tsou

Yoshihiro Soeda

Stephan Bertil Ohlsson

Atsushi Tanno

Edward John Blok

Gang Hou

Bruce Alan Harrington

Kazuto Yamakawa

Jiro Watanabe

Shun Sato

Hirokazu Shibata

Hideki Seto

Susumu Hatanaka

Hiroshi Shintani

Koichi Kawaguchi

Hiroaki Shibano

Hiroyuki Wakamatsu

Ikuma Yusa

Nobuaki Kuribayashi

Naoshi Yamaguchi

Mie Okura

Ryuhei Suzuki

Yuki Mizutani

Tomohide Saita

Kouichi Kawaguchi

Provided is a thermoplastic resin composition for cooling medium transportation pipes, which has high barrier performance, is flexible and has good extrusion moldability. A thermoplastic resin composition which comprises a matrix that comprises a thermoplastic resin and a domain that comprises a rubber and is dispersed in the matrix, the thermoplastic resin composition being characterized by having an oxygen permeability coefficient (cm·mm/(m·day·mmHg)) of 0.02 or less at 21° C. and at a humidity of 0%, and being also characterized in that the melt viscosity of the thermoplastic resin constituting the matrix is 300 Pa·s or less at 250° C. and at a shear rate of 243.2 s, the thermoplastic resin comprises a thermoplastic resin having a melting point or a glass transition temperature of 150° C. or higher and a thermoplastic resin having an oxygen permeability coefficient of 0.004 or less or comprises a thermoplastic resin having a melting point or a glass transition temperature of 150° C. or higher and an oxygen permeability coefficient of 0.004 or less, and the rubber comprises an isobutylene-based block copolymer and an olefin- or styrene-based polymer having an epoxy group, an amino group, a hydroxyl group, an acid anhydride group or a carboxyl group.

Thermoplastic resin composition for cooling medium transportation pipes, and cooling medium transportation pipe

Provided is a thermoplastic resin composition for refrigerant transporting piping having high barrier properties, flexibility, and good extrusion processability. The thermoplastic resin composition for refrigerant transporting piping is composed of: a matrix containing a thermoplastic resin; and a domain containing a rubber dispersed in the matrix, and is characterized in that the thermoplastic resin has a melting point of 150° C. or higher, the rubber is a butyl-based rubber or an olefin-based rubber, the matrix contains a viscosity stabilizer, the thermoplastic resin composition contains a processing aid and at least one selected from the group consisting of a phenylenediamine-based anti-aging agent, a quinoline-based anti-aging agent, and a trihydric alcohol having a triazine skeleton, and at least a portion of the rubber is crosslinked.

Thermoplastic resin composition for refrigerant transporting piping, and method for producing same

Provided is a piping system for an air conditioner installed in a vehicle that can achieve appropriate weight reduction while ensuring appropriate pressure resistance as the piping system as a whole. A circulation path that connects component devices of an air conditioner () in an annular shape to circulate a refrigerant (C) is formed by each pipe body extending between the component devices. At least one of the pipe bodies includes: a resin hose () embedded with a non-metal reinforcing material () or a resin pipe () embedded with a non-metal reinforcing material (), and the resin pipe bodies (), () are employed in 50% or more of a total length of each of the pipe bodies constituting the circulation path.

Piping system for air conditioner installed in vehicle

Provided is a thermoplastic elastomer composition which does not undergo viscosity increase during melt molding, gelation and molding failure, while having excellent heat resistance and durability. A thermoplastic elastomer composition for tires, which contains (A) an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer or a modified ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, (B) a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer, which has a melting point of 200&#xb0; C. or higher, and (C) an acid-modified elastomer in an amount of 20% by volume or more based on the amount of all polymer components. This thermoplastic elastomer composition for tires is characterized in that if this thermoplastic elastomer composition for tires is extruded at a piston speed of 5 min/min at a temperature that is higher than the melting point of the thermoplastic resin or thermoplastic elastomer (B) by 20&#xb0; C. in a viscosity measurement by means of a capillary rheometer, the viscosity &#x3b7;in 800 seconds after the start of the extrusion is less than 120% of the viscosity &#x3b7;in 200 seconds after the start of the extrusion.

Thermoplastic elastomer composition for tires, and tire

Provided is a pneumatic tire with a surface provided with a reflective layer that reflects light, the reflective layer including a transparent globule group composed of transparent globules. At least some of the transparent globules are each configured to reflect incident light incident into the transparent globule from outside, at an interface with the outside of the transparent globule, and to emit the light to the outside of the transparent globule as reflected light. The transparent globules are each configured to cause the reflected light to include more amount of non-retroreflected light than retroreflected light, the non-retroreflected light moving further away from an optical path of the incident light according to a distance from the transparent globules, being increased. The transparent globules each have an optical path of the non-retroreflected light with an angle difference of from 2.0 degrees to 2.5 degrees from the optical path of the incident light.

Pneumatic tire

In a pneumatic tire production method including a step of overlapping end portions of a sheet laminate and vulcanization-molding the tire, the sheet laminate being obtained by layering an elastomer layer and a sheet of a thermoplastic resin composition containing a thermoplastic resin or a blend of a thermoplastic resin and an elastomer, after the end portions of the sheet laminate are overlapped, the overlapped portion of the sheet laminate is compression-bonded at a temperature of not less than a glass transition temperature Tg of the thermoplastic resin and not greater than 120&#xb0; C.

Pneumatic tire production method

A tire comprising an outer tread layer, intermediate sidewall and carcass layers and an innermost air permeation prevention layer: (i) the air permeation prevention (APP) layer having an upper and a lower surface, the layer having a polymer composition exhibiting an air permeation coefficient (APC) of about 25&#xd7;10cc cm/cmsec cmHg (at 30&#xb0; C.) or less and a Young's modulus of about 1 MPa to about 500 MPa, the polymer composition comprising: (A) at least 10 wt % of at least one thermoplastic resin component having an APC of about 25&#xd7;10cc cm/cmsec cmHg (at 30&#xb0; C.) or less and a Young's modulus of more than 500 MPa, which is preferably a polyamide resin or mixture, and (B) at least 10 wt % of at least one elastomer component having an APC of more than about 25&#xd7;10cc cm/cmsec cmHg (at 30&#xb0; C.) and a Young's modulus of not more than 500 MPa, which elastomer component is preferably a halogen-containing rubber or mixture, the total amount (A)+(B) being not less than about 30 wt %, and the elastomer component is a dispersed vulcanized, discontinuous phase in the thermoplastic resin matrix; and (ii) at least one thermoplastic laminate layer bonded to at least said lower surface of the APP layer, the thermoplastic layer comprising a film-forming, semi-crystalline, substantially hydrophobic carbon chain polymer having a glass transition temperature, Tg, of less than about &#x2212;20&#xb0; C.

Low moisture permeability laminate construction

A laminate comprising at least one layer of a first thermoplastic resin composition alternately stacked with at least two layers of a second thermoplastic resin composition so that the outermost layers are the layers of the second thermoplastic resin composition, wherein the first thermoplastic resin composition comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer and modified ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers, and the second thermoplastic resin composition has a different composition from the first thermoplastic resin composition, and wherein, in any adjacent pair of the layer of the first thermoplastic resin composition and the layer of the second thermoplastic resin composition, the layer of the first thermoplastic resin composition and the layer of the second thermoplastic resin composition have a specific tensile modulus ratio and a specific thickness ratio.

Laminated body and pneumatic tyre using same

Provided is an adhesive composition that provides excellent adhesion between a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer in which an elastomer component is dispersed in the thermoplastic resin and a tire by a combination of general-purpose materials, without using any special polymer. The adhesive composition comprises 100 parts by weight of a base polymer and 20 to 50 parts by weight of a resol-type phenolic resin-based resin crosslinking agent, wherein 100 parts by weight of the base polymer comprises 80 to 99 parts by weight of a thermoplastic elastomer and 1 to 20 parts by weight of a halogenated rubber. The resol-type phenolic resin-based resin crosslinking agent is preferably an alkylphenol-formaldehyde resin. Examples of the thermoplastic elastomer can include styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers, and examples of the halogenated rubber can include chloroprene rubber and chlorosulfonated polyethylene.

Adhesive composition and pneumatic tire using same

A stabilized, dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising dispersed dynamically vulcanized particles of at least one first elastomer or rubber comprising halogenated isobutylene-containing elastomer and dispersed particles of at least one second elastomer or rubber comprising at least one functional group capable of reacting with and grafting to a polyamide, the particles of the at least one first and at least one second elastomers dispersed in a continuous thermoplastic polyamide or nylon resin matrix comprising at least one nylon homopolymer, nylon copolymer or mixture thereof, the composition or the at least one first elastomer further comprising at least one stabilizer against degradation induced by exposure to actinic, particularly ultraviolet, radiation. The compositions are preferably produced in a mixing extruder and are suitable for producing durable, flexible, thermoplastic elastomer fluid barrier films or layers useful in industrial articles such as vehicle tire innerliners and hoses.

Stabilized dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomer compositions useful in fluid barrier applications

A laminate comprising at least one layer of a first thermoplastic resin composition alternately stacked with at least two layers of a second thermoplastic resin composition, so that the outermost layers are the layers of the second thermoplastic resin composition, wherein the first thermoplastic resin composition, comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer and modified ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers, and the second thermoplastic resin composition has a different composition from the first thermoplastic resin composition, and wherein, in any adjacent pair of the layer of the first thermoplastic resin composition and the layer of the second thermoplastic resin composition, the layer of the first thermoplastic resin composition and the layer of the second thermoplastic resin composition have a specific tensile modulus ratio and a specific thickness ratio.

A method for producing a thermoplastic elastomer composition including a thermoplastic resin composition as a continuous phase and also including a modified elastomer dispersed into the continuous phase as a dispersed phase, wherein the method comprises, in the stated order: (1) a step for reacting a polyamide resin and an epoxy group-containing polymer together to generate an end-capped polyamide resin; (2) a step for adding EVOH and a modified elastomer to the product obtained in step (1); (3) a step for dispersing the EVOH into the product obtained in step (1); (4) a step for adding a cross-linking agent for cross-linking the modified elastomer to the dispersion obtained in step (3); and (5) a step for cross-linking the modified elastomer using the cross-linking agent; and wherein the thermoplastic resin composition comprises EVOH and an end-capped polyamide resin.

Method for producing thermoplastic elastomer composition

An article having a fluid permeation prevention layer, such as a pneumatic tire or hose. A tire for example includes an outer tread layer, intermediate sidewall and carcass layers and an innermost air permeation prevention layer: (i) the air permeation prevention (APP) layer having an upper and a lower surface, the layer having a polymer composition exhibiting an air permeation coefficient (APC) of about 25&#xd7;10'12 cc cm/cm2 sec cmHg (at 30&#xb0; C.) or less and a Young's modulus of about 1 MPa to about 500 MPa, the polymer composition comprising: (A) at least 10 wt % of at least one. thermoplastic resin component having an APC of about 25&#xd7;10&#x2033;12 cc cm/cm2 sec cmHg (at 30&#xb0; C.) or less and a Young's modulus of more than 500 MPa, which is preferably a polyamide resin or mixture, and (B) at least 10 wt % of at least one elastomer component having an APC of more than about 25&#xd7;10&#x2033;12 cc cm/cm2 sec cmHg (at 30&#xb0; C.) and a Young's modulus of not more than 500 MPa, which elastomer component is preferably a halogen-containing rubber or mixture, the total amount (A)+(B) being not less than about 30 wt %, and the elastomer component is a dispersed vulcanized, discontinuous phase in the thermoplastic resin matrix; and (ii) at least one thermoplastic laminate layer bonded to at least said lower surface of the APP layer, the thermoplastic layer comprising a film-forming, semi-crystalline, substantially hydrophobic carbon chain polymer having a glass transition temperature, Tg, of less than about &#x2212;200 C.

Provided is a thermoplastic elastomer composition that can be suitably used for the inner liners of pneumatic tires and exhibits high air barrier properties and high fatigue durability. The present invention is a thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising a thermoplastic resin composition and a rubber composition dispersed in the thermoplastic resin composition, wherein the thermoplastic resin composition comprises a polyamide and an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer or a poly(vinyl alcohol), the rubber composition comprises a halogenated isoolefin-p-alkylstyrene copolymer and is cross inked. The thermoplastic resin composition preferably comprises 1 to 25% by weight of the ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer or the poly(vinyl alcohol). The thermoplastic elastomer composition preferably comprises 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic resin composition and 80 to 200 parts by weight of the halogenated isoolefin-p-alkylstyrene copolymer.

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Hiratsuka, Japan

Shusaku Tomoi